Comenzar: Full Conjugation

Comenzar means "to begin" or "to start." It's a near-synonym of empezar, and the two are largely interchangeable. Like almorzar, comenzar is doubly irregular:

1. It's an e → ie stem-changing verb, so comenz- becomes comienz- when the stem is stressed.
2. It ends in -zar, so the z changes to c before e.

Present Indicative

Preterite

The yo form shows the z → c change: comencé, not comenzé.

Imperfect

Future

Conditional

Present Subjunctive

Both changes show up here: e → ie in stressed forms, and z → c throughout.

Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra forms)

Imperative

Non-Finite Forms

• Infinitive: comenzar
• Gerund: comenzando
• Past participle: comenzado

Common Uses

The standard construction is comenzar a + infinitive ("to begin to..."). You can also use comenzar with a direct object (comencé el libro) or comenzar con ("to start with").